Sermon Topics
December
December 6th “Journey to Palestine and Israel: What I Saw, What I Heard, What I Felt” Rev. Dr. George Kimmich Beach Is it a “security barrier” or an “apartheid wall”? Does renewing the “peace process” promise a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians, or is it a sham? Are basic human rights at stake in this conflict, and do we care? The questions abound. They underlie the news we read every day in the papers. The sermon reflects on my experiences during a 2007 study tour sponsored by UUJME (UUs for Justice in the Middle East), and efforts to engage the UUA is this central moral crisis of our time.
December 13th “How to Practice Christmas” Rev. Jeanne Pupke and Acting DRE Rhonda Hodder Is your heart a bit tight this holiday season? Our children tell a tale of learning to live out Christmas in an adaptation of one of the classic stories of Dr. Seuss - How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
December 20th “Solstice Celebration” Rev. Jeanne Pupke and the Earth Centered Spirituality Group. Come to our celebration of the coming light.
Special Service: December 24th (7pm) “Light Over Darkness” The Christmas Eve service is our traditional candlelight celebration of the birth of Jesus. It is an intergenerational service featuring the story of Christmas and the singing of carols. Cookies and cocoa to follow.
December 27th “Spirit Or Soul?” Rev. Jeanne Pupke Modernity has taught us all to value the works of human spirit, objects, structures and systems. Will the post modern world teach us to reacquaint ourselves with the work of soul?
November
November 1st “Civil Discourse” Rev. Jeanne M. Pupke We need to communicate, yet we give the most attention to those who are least civil. Rev. Jeanne examines the loss of reasoned conversation and finds some excellent analysis from 200 years ago.
November 8th “Wars of a Smaller Nation” Rev. Jeanne Pupke How can a nation be at war and not be at war? Rev Jeanne considers the wars we do not fight and the deep threat of illegitimate peace.
November 15th “Making Our Inner and Outer Lives Whole” Rev. Preston Moore. Carl Jung once said, “Your vision will become clear when you look into your own heart.” What is the connection between these two kinds of seeing? Jung’s language is poetic, his idea fascinating; but how can we put this into practice?
November 22nd “Premises and Promises” Rev. Barbara Wells TenHove and Rollene Wells During 81 years of living, Rollene (former English teacher and minister’s wife) has developed eight premises she lives by. These premises reflect her UU faith and deeply influenced her four daughters. Together she and daughter Barbara (a UU minister from Washington State) will share how these premises and promises impact both their lives. Hopefully, they will touch yours as well. Our Annual Thanksgiving Potluck follows the 11:15 service.
November 29th “The Remarkable Mr. Priestly” Rev. Jeanne Pupke. More than two centuries ago, one man proved himself, scientist, political philosopher, theologian and Unitarian Minister. A new book guides our discovery as we consider the man who defined the air we breathe.
October 2009
October 4th “On Happiness” Rev. Jeanne M. Pupke We say we like happiness but we often act in ways that repel it. We interact with those who never seem to find it. This sermon is about happiness, what it really is, how it is available to us, what we can do to make it a normal part of life.
October 11th (Multigenerational) “The Gospel According to Max” Rev. Sherman Logan, Jr. We love them and often take them for granted .Yet they can be some of our most powerful and simple spiritual teachers, our pets. In this multigenerational service we will explore how our lives with pets teach us lessons in justice, equity and compassion. Please bring in items that remind you of a pet or an animal you admire, including pictures, collars, leashes, toys, etc. NO LIVE ANIMALS, PLEASE!
October 18th “No Other Hands But Ours” Rev. Audette Fulbright Minister, Roanoke, VA The German theologian Dorothee Solle wrote: “God has no other hands but ours.” Join us this morning for a service reflecting on the ways in which we reach to do right by one another — to be God’s hands, to be in Right Relationship — as UUs, lay and ordained. We will explore some of the formal structures for such work, as well as the relational foundation of our religious heritage.
October 25th “Standing on the Side of Love” Rev. Jeanne Pupke We join with other UU congregations to celebrate what we stand for: the power of love, where it has been absent, love where it has been ignored, love where it has been forgotten. Our sermon today is about what U.U.s can do to change lives by living a loving faith.
September 2009
September 6 (Multigenerational): “Water Communion: Just a Drop” - Rev. Jeanne Pupke We gather waters from our many different travels into our common vessel. In this intergenerational service, we explore the importance of the water that connects us to many places and many meanings.
September 13: “Grow” - Rev. Jeanne Pupke Our Mission Statement calls for us “to grow in search of wisdom,” but growth and change are less likely as we age. How might we continue to grow and live into our wisdom?
September 20: “Care” - Rev. Jeanne Pupke It’s not always easy to care, but it is good to have people care about you. In the second sermon of the series on our church Mission, Rev. Jeanne talks about the challenges of building a community rooted in care.
September 27: “Act” - Rev. Jeanne Pupke We are free to let the world fail, and free to help it thrive. Making the choice to ignore, help, serve, or transform the world is a choice we can shape more knowingly from our church home.
August 2009
August 2, 2009: We celebrate Rev. Alane’s ministry at First U.U. with a celebration after second service.
August 9, 2009: “The Teachings of Atticus Finch” – Rev. Jeanne Pupke The hero of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird has much to offer. Rev. Jeanne will reflect on America’s favorite protagonist as spiritual teacher.
August 16, 2009: “It Isn’t Just For Me” – Rev. David Hicks MacPherson There are times when we believe that the church is just for us. However, it is much, much more! Come and explore some of the realities, and the POSSIBILITIES!
August 23, 2009: “Complexity” – Mark Reimers, PhD. Following a wonderful course on the topic, Mark offers a sermon-length message of insight and delight on how complexity arises –in us.
August 30, 2009: “Ask the Minister” — Rev. Jeanne Pupke It is time to gather up your questions and bring them to this service. Rev. Jeanne will take (most) questions you’ve always wanted to ask.
June, 2009
June 7 (Multigenerational): “Imagine a Place” - William C. Judd Human history is reach with the stories of dreamers who imagined a better world. Within our own religious heritage this is present in the ideas of universal salvation and the ideas of human progress. Join us as begin to dream aloud how we can continue the work of making our congregation a welcoming, multigenerational and multicultural community. Gathered around the fire of our Flaming Chalice we seek to re-ignite our passions and imaginations.
June 14: “Sex and Religion: Yeah, I said it!” - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles What do Fundamentalist Mormons, Shakers, and Unitarian Universalists have in common?
June 21: “Y You, Y Me: The Challenging Case of You and Your Father” - Rev. Jeanne Pupke In a world full of things that require much effort to master, being your father’s child is one that never ends. Rev. Jeanne offers her thoughts on the role we received at birth and the relationship we are still learning to live.
Evening Service 6:00p: Summer Solstice - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles
June 28: Poetry Sunday: An Alane Cameron Miles tradition
March 2009 9:30am and 11:15am
March 1: Celebration Sunday - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles Rev. Alane will preach on conquering cynicism and fear with hopeful realism and joyful mindfulness.
March 8: Reconciling Choices - Rev. Lia Scholl (Richmond Mennonite Fellowship) There is such rhetoric about choice, whether we maintain that people don’t have choice (as in trafficked individuals) or we hold them in contempt because of their choices (as in sex work). What constitutes choice? And how do we reconcile people’s choices and our own choices?
March 15: The Fish That Swallows Us Whole: Jonah Meets the Economy - Rev. Jeanne Pupke
Feeling at a loss? Is there a way to process all that has happened from a religious perspective? The story of Jonah is our metaphor to examine our personal response to the economic trials all around us.
6pm: 1930s - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles Many are calling to mind the economic situation of America in the 1930’s. This service will take us back to this distinct time, note some similarities, while also seeking that which is unchanging.
March 22: Every Day of Every Season - Rev. Alane and Youth Group The youth asked themselves, “What would I do if I only had a year to live?” The service is designed by our youth group, facilitated by Rev. Alane featuring a sermon drawn from her discussion with the youth. Multigenerational
March 29: At the Root of the Matter (The Auction Sermon) - Rev. Jeanne Pupke When members Jon Pildis and Christy Schragal bid on this sermon topic, Rev. Jeanne knew it was going to be good. She just did not know how expensive it was going to be.
February 2009 9:30am and 11:15am
Feb. 1: The Man Who Collected the Truth - Rev. Jeanne Pupke Charles Darwin was born 200 years ago this month. Our service and sermon recall the man and celebrate his contribution to human understanding.
Feb. 8: To Minister, To Be Ministered Unto - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles A religious community is different from solitary practice and belief because of the gifts, responsibilities, demands, and surprises of community. Rev. Alane will lead this service on the many aspects and possibilities of the ministry of church membership. Music is provided by the Glass Brothers.
Feb. 15: Can You Hear Me Now? - Suzanne M. Marsh (Community Church of NY) Cell phone callers are only the latest in a long line of folks to ask this question. What might it mean to each of us, our community and our world if we were to listen a little more carefully to what others are saying? We will explore what it means to authentically listen to each other and how it feels to really be heard.
6pm: Latin American Poetry - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles
Feb. 22: Consider Yourself at Home - Rev. Jeanne Pupke Everyone loves the feeling of truly being welcomed. Living in a way that makes people welcome and accepted is not always easy but it is important. Rev. Jeanne will speak on welcoming as a practice of strength and wisdom. Multigenerational Service.
January 2009 9:30am & 11:15am
Jan. 4: We Better Take Time - Rev. David Hicks MacPherson As part of the New Year Service we will conduct a service of Borning and Dying, during which we will celebrate the lives of persons in our congregation who have died or been born in 2008.
Jan. 11: Out of Our Heads (and Hearts) - Rev. Jeanne Pupke Summoning the courage to get out of our ruts and on to the road of living is always challenging. Anybody have a tow line?
Jan. 18: The Call to Infinite Hope - Rev. Jeanne Pupke Martin Luther King had a specific way of seeing hope. Barack Hussein Obama has a way of seeing hope. On the eve of two historic celebrations, Rev. Jeanne will consider how hope becomes a way of living.
6pm: MLK- The Words - Rev. Jeanne Pupke This evening we will steep ourselves in the power of Dr. King’s words, allowing them to speak to our deepest selves.
Jan. 25: Tearing Down the Monastery - Rev. Jeanne Pupke What to do when awe and wonder too seldom come round. Rev. Jeanne consults spiritual teachers on how to get the wow back.
December 2008 9:30am and 11:15am
Dec. 7: Simple Disciplines - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles The Children’s Religious Education virtue for the month of December is Simplicity. Rev. Alane will reflect on simplicity and spiritual discipline.
Dec. 14: Christmas Pageant - Rev. Jeanne Pupke Children will perform “It’s Christmas Time Charlie Brown.” As Christmas becomes more commercialized every year, it is important to reflect on why this is a meaningful celebration. Perhaps a small, spindly tree can give us insight into why Christmas is important. Multigenerational
Dec. 21: Turned on Our Axis - Rev. Jeanne Pupke Winter solstice arrives with the reminder that life often requires us to change direction.
6pm: Solstice - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles
Dec. 28: Going Deeper - Rev. Jeanne Pupke At a time of resolutions and goal-setting, it is time to ask about goal-setting in our interior lives.
Christmas Eve Service
Dec. 24 at 7pm: Revs. Jeanne Pupke and Alane Cameron Miles Our traditional Christmas Eve service celebrating the observed birth of Jesus, and the hope of peace. Multigenerational
November 9:30am and 11:15am
Nov. 2: Day of the Dead - Music Sunday - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles Join an amazing celebration featuring the Oregon Hill Funk All-Stars. Bring mementos that represent happy times with your loved ones who have died. We will celebrate their lives. Intergenerational service.
Nov. 9: A More Perfect Union - Rev. Jeanne Pupke It matters whom we elect, but it matters more what kind of citizens we are willing to become. How do we cope with too little bi-partisanship? how do we conduct civil discourse? Setting aside disappointment and triumphalism, how can we help steer our country toward its greater possibilities?
Nov. 16: The Church for This Century - Rev. Archene Turner Theodore Parker said, “The church which did for the fifth century, or the fifteenth, will not do for this. It must have our ideas, the smell of our ground, and have grown out of the religion of our soul.” How will the Unitarian Universalist church lead today?
6pm: Status Bar - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles
Nov. 23: Association Sunday - Table Fellowship - Rev. Jeanne Pupke We celebrate what binds us to all Unitarian Universalist congregations and follow with our annual Thanksgiving Potluck. Intergenerational service.
Nov. 30: By Another Path - The Story of Henry and Waldo - Rev. Jeanne Pupke One was a well known speaker, the other a not so well known activist. Their writing was distinctly different yet they counted each other as friends. We can learn much from what bound them.
October 9:30am and 11:15am
Oct. 5: Forgiveness and Remembrance - Rev. Jeanne Pupke Yom Kippur is the highest holiday of the Jewish faith. It is a solemn religious observance of the obligation to atone and repair our wrongs. An important question is how, beyond the atonement, one remembers to live rightly.
Oct. 12: The Astounding Cost of Living Your Mythology - Rev. Jeanne Pupke The greatest trouble in this world arises from the delusions we hold and impose upon the world. Rev. Jeanne dissects the ugly results of living with your fantasy in public view.
Oct. 19: Confessions of a Cultural Elitist - Rev. Paul Boothby Amidst the slings and arrows of outrageous polemicists, civility and free inquiry may get hidden away for safe keeping. Dare we stand our ground in support of values that make a society worth living in? Can personal expression and aesthetic commentary thrive in the battlefield of a culture war?
6:00 pm: Weekend to Workday - Rev. Jeanne Pupke How do we carry the happiness and satisfaction of our days off into the workday world?
Oct. 26: Imagining a Leader - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles Rev. Alane Cameron Miles leads this service on the duties and expectations of great and ethical leaders. Her sources include religious texts, ancient literature and Shakespeare’s plays.
September 9:30am and 11:15am
Sept. 7: Three Little Words - Rev. Jeanne Pupke The congregation has chosen three little words to guide them. Your ministers consider these words and how they become real to this community.
Sept 14: Yearn to Learn - Rev. Jeanne Pupke Our Principles suggest that we are on a search for truth and meaning. Why is it we sometimes wish we could give up the search and hold fast to what we already know? Rev. Jeanne discusses searching, finding and the slippery nature truth and meaning.
Sept 21: Our Schools, Our Future - Rev. Ben Campbell Rev. Ben Campbell, school activist and Pastoral Director of Richmond Hill Community joins us to share his insights on the future of our schools and the students within.
6:00 pm: More than Spiritual Experiences - Rev. Alane Cameron Miles
Sept. 28: Will it be Peace? Liberty? Justice? - Rev. David MacPherson Our Unitarian Universalist principles say that we affirm “a global community with peace, liberty and justice for all”. How seriously are we supposed to take our pledge? I will turn the clock back for a portion of my answer.
Summer Sermon Schedule
10:00 a.m.
June 29 A Sense of Place (Angela Lawrence) We will explore the relation to those characteristics that make a place special or unique as well as to those that foster a sense of authentic human attachment and belonging.
July 6 Birth and Death - Some Stops in Between (First UU Writer’s Group) Nine members of the Writer’s Group will share writings this year at the annual Sunday morning service.
July 13 Spiritual Lessons of the Dog Whisperer (Rev. Jeanne) Like many of you, Rev. Jeanne has become a student of Cesar Milan, whose National Geographic cable series has fascinated millions. She appreciates that Cesar is teaching more than just about our life with our dogs, but asks whether he is teaching us much more. sermon - dog whisperer - audio
July 20 The Transient and Permanent in Religious Traditions (Rev. Patty Hannafin) In 1841, Unitarian minister Theodore Parker delivered a sermon entitled “The Transient and Permanent in Christianity” in which he asks the question, “What of absolute value never changes?” I will explore Parker’s influence on liberal religious thought during his lifetime and its relevance to our lives in the 21st century.
July 27 What is a soul? (Rev. Alane) Is a soul spiritually necessary and can it be explained scientifically? Are we better off with or without the concept of soul as part of our theology?
August 3 Excluding Ecdysiasts (Rev. Lia Sholl) Star Light ministry has a mission to serve exotic dancers - so they will not forget they are also loved and valued by God. Through Star Light they build supportive communities and find resources for successful living. The Rev. Lia Sholl, Director, is with us to tell us about this ministry and why accepting religious communities have a role to play serving members of the Star Light community.
August 10 Dropping the Ball - Crushing the Butterfly (Rev. Alane) We all do it. For whatever reason we drop the ball and face the consequences. But when cities, states, nations and religions drop the ball - how are amends made? Rev. Alane will lead this service on responsibility, hope, and courage.
9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
August 17 Ask the Minister (Rev. Jeanne) Do you have a question you would like to ask our Sr. Minister? The congregation has a chance to co-create this sermon with their questions as Rev. Jeanne offers her response.
August 24 Blessed Beings (C. Stivers) From the moment we awaken each day, until we fall asleep at night, we are both givers and receivers of blessings, what Celtic mystic John O’Donohue called ‘invisible forms of grace.’ Rev. Cathie Stivers will lead us into the exploration of the meaning of ‘blessing,’ its power and humility, its source and destination, and other aspects of this transforming form of grace.”
August 31 The Comingled Community - Water Communion (Revs. Jeanne and Alane)
Congregants bring water from special places and Revs. Alane and Jeanne offer
reflection on the power of this ritual.